Portable table



May 2, 1961 5. V. LEONARDO PORTABLE TABLE Filed Aug. 26. 1959 United States Patent This invention relates to tables and, more particularly,

to readily portable tables, such as are commonly used to support the like. I

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a table such as above described which may be quickly and easily assembled by the user, which is simple and economical in construction, and which is sturdy and capable of long life in service.

Another object of the invention is "to'attach removable leg assemblies to the table top in a manner which enportable television sets, phonographs, and

sity of a separate tables.

Still another object of the invention is to insert lonconnection for each leg as in prior art gitudinal projections or wedges on the leg assemblies into apertures .at. the. underside of the table top and to connect the wedges by a single readily releasable tension connector such as a bolt and nut assembly.

A further object of the invention is .to engage inwardly converging wedge surfaces of each wedge with downwardly converging abutment surfaces of the table top, whereby tightening of the connector urges the wedges tightly against the underside of the table top.

Yet another object of the invention is to form each leg assembly of a single section of resilient stock such as stainless steel tubing, having a V-shaped substantially longitudinal segment defining the wedge, said tubing having segments joining the free ends of the V-shaped segment and extending downwardly therefrom to define legs of the assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to devise a table such as above described in which the leg assemblies are identical so that they are interchangeable, thus simplifying assembly of the parts.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a novel table embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the table shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, on line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view, on line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Describing the invention in detail and referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the novel table comprises a top or panel 2, opposite sides of which are upwardly turned to define longitudinal channels or passageways 4 within which are slideably fitted rods 6 of end brackets 8, to accommodate slideable movement of the end brackets toward and away from each other as may be desired in adjusting the length of the table to portable television sets or other articles of varying lengths.

Attached to the underside of the panel 2, as by screws or welding, (not shown) are a pair of brackets 10, which sures a completely rigidconstruction without the necesmay, as shown in the drawings, be interconnectedby end verging relationship for a purpose hereinafter described. A pair of leg assemblies 16 are arranged in opposed relationship at opposite sides of the table, each of said assemblies comprising'a pair of legs 18 interconnected by a substantially horizontal projection or wedge 20 having oppositely facing wedge surfaces or abutments 22 which converge inwardly toward the vertical axis of j the table.

The abutments 22 are in engagement with respective abutments 14 of one bracket 10, which defines an aperture with the underside .of the panel'2 for the reception of the wedge 20.

The projections or wedges 2 0 of respective leg assembles 16 are spaced from each other and are interconnected by a readily releasable connector or tension means illustrated in the drawings as a bolt and (nut assembly 24. v

The bolt andnut assembly 24 is tightened until it is under tension to force the wedge surfaces 22 into-tight engagement withthe abutments .14 thereby urging upwardly'facing surfaces 26 (Figures 3 and 4) of the projections into tight abutment with the underside of panel 2. By means of this novel arrangement, both leg assemblies 16 can be quickly and firmly locked into position by means of a single connector 24, although more than one such connector may be used if desired.

Another important feature of theinvention is that the downwardly converging. abutments 14 of each. bracket 10 in cooperation with the inwardly converging wedge surfaces 22 of the related leg assembly 16 tightly interlock the leg assembly at 26 against the underside of the panel 2, so that the leg assemblies have no clearance in which to wobble or lean.

As illustrated in the drawings, each leg assembly 16 is preferably in the form of a single section of resilient stainless steel tubing having a V-shaped horizontal segment defining the projection or wedge 20. The free ends of the V-shaped segment join the upper ends of tubing tion afiords resiliency, so that when the bolt and nut assembly is placed in tension, reactive forces are resiliently transmitted to the abutments 14 and to the underside of panel 2.

A bottom tray or panel 28 comprising end members 30 is releasably attached to the legs 18 by holes therein which receive downwardly projecting ends 32 of the end members 30.

Thus it will be understood that the entire table can be quickly and conveniently assembled by one person without the necessity of any tools other than a screw driver or a pair of pliers, depending upon the shape of the bolthead. The table is assembled by loosely inserting projections 20 of the respective leg assemblies 16 into apertures defined by panel 2 and the related brackets 10. The ends 32 of end members 30 are then inserted into the holes of the legs 18, and thereafter the bolt and nut assembly 24 is inserted through openings of the projections 20 and is tightened until all parts of the table are tightly interlocked as heretofore described.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to specific embodiments of structure, it will be understood, nevertheless, that numerous modifications and variations are susceptible of being incorporated without departure from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended for an understanding of this invention to be limited by the foregoing description nor by the illustrations in the annexed drawings, except as indicated in the hereinafter appended claims.

Patented May 2, 1961 i Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A table comprising a panel having on its underside two pairs of abutments, the'abutments of each pair facing each other and converging downwardly, two pairs of leg assemblies, each comprising a single section of 'res'ilient material having a substantially horizontal V'-shaped segment and having legs joined, respectively, to the free ends of said segment, said segment being releasably seated against the underside of said panel and having inwardly converging surfaces releasably seated against abutments of one pair, and readily releasable means connected under tension to the segments of respective leg assemblies to prevent movement of said segments away from each other.

2. A table comprising a top having two pairs of abutment surfaces at opposite sides, respectively, of the bottom thereof, the abutment surfaces of each pair mutually facing each other; a pairof leg assemblies, each having a projection with inwardly converging Wedge surfaces releasably seated against related abutment surfaces of one pair, theprojections being spaced from each other and being releasably seated against the bottom of said table top, and readily releasable means under tension between said projections preventing movement thereof away from each other.

3. A table having a top with pairs of mutually facing abutments on the underside thereof, the abutments of each pair converging downwardly, leg assemblies having projections associated, respectively, with said pairs of abutments, each projection having Wedge surfaces converging toward the other and releasably engaged with the abutments of one pair, said projections being spaced from each other and being releasably seated against the underside of said top, and readily releasable tension 4, means interconnected to said projections for preventing movement thereof away from each other.

4. A table comprising a panel, brackets secured to the underside of said paneland defining apertures, leg assemblies having projections extending inwardly through respective apertures, and a bolt and nut assembly interconnecting said projections and constituting the sole means for retaining saidprojections within said apertures.

5. A table comprising a table top, the opposite sides of said top being turnedupwardly to define a channel or passageway, a pair of rods each having an end bracket slideably fitted in said passageways for movement to ward and away from each other, spaced brackets secured to the underside of said top at opposite sides thereof, each of said brackets having mutually facing downwardly converging abutments, wedges engaging the abutments of the respective brackets, legs on the respective wedges and a releasable connector interconnecting the wedges.

" 6. A table as in claim 5 wherein the legs are provided with openings at the lower portion thereof and a bottom tray,' and downwardly projecting end members on said tray received in said leg openings to maintain said tray in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 170,315 Gerber Sept. 1, 1953 1,885,615 McGinley Nov. 1, 1932 2,657,965 Bargen Nov. 3, 1953 2,720,402 DePuy et a1 Oct. 11, 1955 2,815,801 Fingerhut et al Dec. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,058,600 France Mar. 17, 1954 

